Back Home
by K Finance
Summary: Hermione goes home for Christmas after the first term of her first year at Hogwarts.


Title Back Home

Author KFinance

Plot Hermione goes back home for the Christmas break of year one and is worried about what her friend will think.

Characters Hermione, her parents, Ron and Harry mentioned, Tabatha "Tabby" and Samantha Cummins

Back Home

Hermione was unsure what she would do once she got back to London and saw her family and friends what would she tell them. Certainly not the truth. Her parents knew but her best muggle friend didn't and she would not believe her if she told them. Her only option was telling lies. If not lies, not the whole truth. That would never happen. She needed to calm down. She would tell her that she went to Portmore. It was in the North like Hogwarts. And it was not unlikely because it had the International Baccalaureate programme. Even if it does have a rather rich tuition her parents were both dentists so it would not be that they couldn't pay, and Hermione was going to enter the IB program, it unlike her other muggle schooling, would have been a be a welcomed challenge. Hermione could feel herself tying herself into knots. Where was Ron when you needed him. He would have had some remark for her and then the jokes would start and her worries would be put out of her thoughts. That is if he and Harry weren't pouring over their chocolate frog cards. But no, there was no Ron and Harry, she was alone in the train carriage, there was no one to make he forget her worries. She had tried to distract herself with books but there were some things that only friends could help with. These worries were one of them.

Finally after what seemed like hours of worrying and brooding. They reached Kings Cross Station. Hermione was still worried but a little relieved at the same time it would all be over soon. No more worrying about what her friend would think. As much as Hermione was dreading lying to her friend she was excited to see her parents. Sure enough when she got off the train she saw her parents waiting on the platform. They were easy to spot because there were not that many other families on the platform. Hermione wanted to hurry to see her parents but yet she wanted to stay with the people who were like her, magic. Hermione wasn't sure if she was ready to go back to the muggle world just yet even if it was only for two was just getting comfortabl at Hogwarts, what if she had to start over again? The other students made up her mind for her and she was following the trickle of student out of the train and onto the platform. Hermione had not realized how much she missed her parents until they were standing in front of them. The first thing they asked her was

"How was the first term of school?"

"Good, great. The people there are nice" (for the most part) she thought "and the teachers know what they are talking about and how to teach. The foods good too."

"That's good to hear. Tabby has been asking about when you would go on break. Seems she wants to see you."

"Oh." This was what Hermione was afraid of. what would she say to tabby

"You don't sound that pleased."

"Well what do I tell her? That's what I'm worried about."

"Oh well we've told her that you were at a private boarding school in Scotland, Portmoor. It's not that far off from the truth and she took it as the truth so I don't think you have much to be worried about."

The car ride home was not long as her family lived in the suburbs of London. Hermione took comfort in seeing all the places she identified as part of home. There was the movie theatre and the swimming pool. Gregg's Diner were you could get the best ice cream in London. At least that was what the sign said, Hermione knew that Florentine's was better. Then the view out her window started to change from businesses to houses. They were large houses and she knew some of the people who lived in them. There was Mrs. Wallace who had twelve cats and a butler to take care of them as she was in her nineties. And there was Mr. Perry who was young and good looking. Hermione's parents said that the only reason that he was not married was because he has a terrible personality. Then in no time they had pulled into their drive and her father was getting her trunk out of the car. The house it's self hadn't changed much but the scene around it had. There was a thin layer of snow on the lawn and she could see the tracks that the car had made on its way to the station. Hermione stood beside the car and looked at her house. There was the red mail box and heavy dark wood door. Those two features stood out on the house. It was two stories and built out of sand coloured stone.

"You just going to stand there or are you going to come in and have a cup of tea?" A sharp but light voice rang out of the house. Hermione tore her eyes away from the top windows of the house and focused in on the front door. Sure enough there was Tabby. Tabatha or tabby as she was known was Hermione's best friend before she met Harry and Ron. She was a little like Hermione only she was more outgoing and possibly not quite as smart. Tabby though was pretty and in time as she got older she would be beautiful. She was fine boned and her hair was the colour of rich mahogany wood. Her skin a creamy white. But it was her eyes that really got people's attention, they were bright, round and framed by thick long lashes. They also had a hard time deciding on whether they wanted to be blue or green. Tabby was what you call black Irish with the dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes. Her parents had moved from Ireland after they got married and Tabby had a strange mix of an accent, irish from home and English and French from school.

With a forced smile on Hermione made her way to the front door and Tabby.

"What are you looking so worried about? Did you think that I would leave you hanging after you and I went to different schools?"

Hermione looked up and into her friend eyes that were green at the moment. The next thing she knew she was being squished in a big hug. For as small as Tabby was she was surprisingly strong.

"Thanks Tabby."

"Don't mention it."

"Did you say something about tea?" Hermione was getting cold standing in the front yard.

"Yea I even brought some of my mom's sugar cookies."

"Fantastic! What have you been doing this year while I was up in Scotland?" Hermione asked as she took off her boots and jacket

"Oh well I got accepted to a school in France. I kind of miss it there. It was an all girls school. The classes are all in French but that isn't that big of a deal seeing that we were both in French emersion. How was your school?"

"Oh great. Fantastic I didn't realize that there were so many things that I didn't know. It's like there's a whole other world out there. And there are my two best friends at school. Ron and Harry."

"Your best friends are boys? Wow Hermione when you left London you wouldn't talk to boys, except to correct them. How did you manage this?"

"Well it's a long story." Oh no thought Hermione. I can't tell her the real story, not with the troll. "Harry and Ron were already friends and I rather resented them at the beginning. Ron more than Harry mind you. Then we had to work together as a group and they weren't all that bad. Sometimes I have to put them in their place and remind than that they are still mortal." Hermione was surprised at how easy that white lie had been.

"You have to remind them that they are mortal?"

Warning bells went off in Hermione's head. She had said too much. She grasped for something to say. "They're boys, they have those crazy ideas. Hey lets slide down the 60 foot banisters. Not smart."

"There's a 60 foot banister at Portmoor?"

"Ok that might be a bit of an exaggeration." There's one at Hogwarts though thought Hermione. She said shrugging and looking guilty. At this the two of them laughed. The girls were getting more comfortable.

"Girls I know you want to catch up but the tea is getting cold. Hermione's mom was calling them."

"I put the cozy on it." Tabby said as she and Hermione entered the living room. It was just as Hermione remembered it. Their tea was like all the other teas that they had had with Tabby, every one chatted and Hermione was conscious now about what she said.

When tea was over Hermione and Tabby went up to Hermione's room to talk some more. Sitting on the purple quilt Hermione was admiring her room that was all hers. No sharing with four other girls.

"So tell me more about these friends of yours. What do they look like?"

"Ok. Well there is Ron Weasley. He has red hair, his whole family does. He also has freckles and big ears. And his eyes are brown. Hes also rather tall. He's already a head taller than me."

"Ok so he's average, except for his height. What about the other one?"

"Harry Potter..." before Hermione could continue she was interrupted by tabby.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You know Harry Potter! The Harry Potter!" Tabby gave a little gasp and her hand flew to her mouth. "I shouldn't have said that."

The two girls stared at each other wondering what happened.

"If you know who Harry is then..."

"And you know him two, then that means that..."

Neither one of them wanted to say anything about what they thought was happening.

Hermione bit the bullet. "Ok what I'm about to tell you can't leave this house. You can't tell anyone at all. You promise." Tabby just nodded.

"I'm a witch." Tabby didn't bat an eye.

"So am I. I am going to Bouxbatons Academy of Magic. And you are attending Hogwarts." For a second Hermione thought that tabby was just playing a game and pulling her leg but when she said Hogwarts she knew that they were both witches in training.

It was like a load off her shoulders was lifted. She could talk openly to Tabby and she would know what she was talking about without an explanation.

"You know harry Potter? Pray tell, what's he like?" Tabby was looking intrigued and shocked.

Hermione had to laugh at her.

"He is a regular person you know."

"Really?"

"You know he's not all that comfortable with his popularity."

"Really? Interesting."

"That's the impression that I get. So what classes do you have at your school?" The rest of the evening was spent talking about school and magic that they had learned. They were having a great time until Hermione's mother came up and told them that Tabby's mother had phoned and was wondering where she was. The two still wanted to talk so they planned to meet at the park and talk there.

In the morning Hermione got dressed and ate breakfast. Telling her parents were she was going she was out the door and off to the park. Sure enough as she was entering the park gates she could see tabby in her bright periwinkle blue coat. Their conversation picked up where it left off the night before and they were having a lovely time until someone they didn't want to see came up to them. It was Samantha Cummins.

"Well look who it is. Tabby cat and Puck, back from school. Do you two feel lucky that you're going to schools so far away? Do you?" She got no response from her victims.

"Well I'll have you know that I'll be going to Oxford for university, and that's more that you two will ever do."

"Only because your father can pay them to let you in." Tabby replied

"Mind you they may just make you the mascot, though I don't know why they wouldn't pick a smarter one, it is Oxford after all." Hermione said frankly

"Oh look at you two a real Rosencrantz and Guildenstern duo aren't you."

"At least we're not Ophelia; we don't go nuts and drown ourselves."

"Just because my middle name is Ophelia doesn't mean that you can tell me that I'm going to go crazy and drown myself. I'll have you know that it's because of you two witches that I'm now going to a therapist." Hermione looked at Samantha straight in the eye and said with a smile on her face.

"You say witch like it's a bad thing." This was Hermione again and Samantha had no response except a frustrated and hurt grumbling and a few tears. She and Tabby were laughing but not at Samantha but at Hermione's last comment.

Hermione and Tabby managed not to burst into laughter but when they looked at each other they couldn't help cracking up at their inside joke. When they caught their breath Tabby asked.

"It used to be just me standing up for us. Hogwarts has really gotten to you. Are you sure that all the people there are as nice as you say they are?"

"With the exception of Malfoy."

"Who?"

"Draco Malfoy, he's a sharp tongued brat. And I'm though with being the brunt of nasty jokes and comments."

"Ok, I can't believe that she still uses those Hamlet puns."

"She had it coming though, she really did say witch like it was a bad thing." This set them off in another bout of laughter.


End file.
